And moreover to succeed, the artist must possess the courageous soul... The brave soul. The soul that dares and defies.

— Kate Chopin

Hello

My name is Kandyce King and I am an abstract, mixed-media artist. Primarily, my work is created on 140lb mixed media paper and my chosen mediums are acrylic paint, soft pastel, pencil, ink, watercolor, and charcoal. As a former Graphic Designer I seek balance in every layout I create. I desire for the viewer’s eye to glide across the movement of a painting, pausing to take note of emphasized areas, and soaking in texture and color.

College was really the start of my painting career. In high school I was formally trained in representational art, but was awakened to abstract art by my professor and mentor, Martha Mason. Most days you can find me in my garage studio, creating to my heart’s content.

MY PROCESS

You will find me with multiple brushes, hands covered in paint, apron messy with mostly bright colors and a happy heart. When I begin a painting I dive right in! I pick a color I am feeling most attracted to at the given moment. From there, I work using color, movement, and texture to create a balanced piece of artwork. Most recently, I have been exploring using the bible to drive my creative process. Taking passages and inspirational texts, I use these to reflect on as I begin to paint. This guides my color choices, layout, and final product. This emotive process has created in me a deeper sense of connection to my artwork. Overall,my enjoyment comes from the process of taking a blank page and making itcome to life.

My story

Art has always been a passion of mine. Both my grandmothers were primary influences in my early artistic endeavors. As a child, my grandmother taught me how to draw portraits while sitting in church and the other took private art lessons with me. At school, any subject was fun if ART was a part of the assignment. As a teenager, I found that art was "my thing." While my friends played basketball and volleyball I sketched and painted. My senior year of high school I had decided that Graphic Design was the career I wanted to pursue. In this field my passion for organization, typography, photography, and color seemed to collide together. After graduating with a B.A. in Commercial Art from Walla Walla University in 2007, I have worked as a graphic designer, substitute teacher, and most recently a mentor and art teacher. Art helps me find peace, balance, and love. I can't imagine my life without it.